Thomas Ready for Schiano Shootout, RU Visit

Brian Dohn

06/24/2011

Franklin High (Reisterstown, Md.) receiver Ian Thomas has long held Rutgers in high regard, and Saturday he will be on campus as his team plays in the Schiano Shootout. But Thomas isn't coming alone, as an important member of his family is also slated to make the drive campus.

Rutgers already landed one receiver from Franklin High (Somerset, N.J.), and Saturday the Scarlet Knights will get a look at another receiver from Franklin High (Reisterstown, Md.) already holding an offer.

Ian Thomas is traveling with his Franklin High team to compete in the Schiano Shootout 7-on-7 tournament at Rutgers, and he isn't coming alone.

Thomas, who is 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, already saw the Rutgers campus during a spring visit, and this time his mom will see one of the four schools recruiting Thomas the hardest.

"(Assistant) coach (P.J.) Fleck is just trying to get me up there and get me around the Rutgers coaches and players, and try to get my mom up to see campus," Thomas said, "so she'll be coming up Saturday as well. The offensive coordinator, coach (Frank) Cignetti, I've been Facebooking with him a couple of times."

Thomas is yet to make a summer visit to any campus because he and his teammates have been preparing for 7-on-7 competitions.

"This is our first one," he said. "We had 7-on-7 practice Tuesday and Thursday during the month of June, so we should be all right."

After the tournament he is hopeful of meeting with the coaching staff, and having his mom learn more about the Scarlet Knights.

And Thomas is also thinking about other visits he wants to make.

"Saturday will be the first unofficial visit for me," he said. "I definitely want to go check out Stanford, Notre Dame, Iowa …schools like that."

However, as Thomas plods through the recruiting process, he is seeing scholarship slots fill up quickly.

Rutgers already has commitments from Carlton Agudosi of Franklin High (Somerset, N.J.) and Ruhann Peele of Linden (N.J.) High. Thomas knows the Scarlet Knights may take just one more receiver in the 2012 class, but he also wants to make official visits and become immersed in the recruiting process.

"It's kind of difficult, but it is what it is," Thomas said. "If they close up, they close up. I'll just look elsewhere."